Gambiaj.com – (BELLIZONA) – The Swiss Federal Criminal Court (FCC) is set to announce the verdict in the trial of Ousman Sonko, a former minister of Interior under Yahya Jammeh’s regime, on Wednesday at 11:00. The trial, which opened on January 8, 2024, concluded its hearings on January 23, with closing arguments held between March 4 and 7, 2024.

Sonko, accused of crimes against humanity including rape and murder, gave a defiant closing speech in March, claiming to be a victim of racism and lies. He is the highest-ranking official ever to be tried in Europe using universal jurisdiction, allowing prosecution for the most serious crimes anywhere.

During the trial, details emerged of alleged crimes committed between 2000 and 2016, either by Sonko or under his watch. In response, Sonko denounced the accusations as lies aimed at supporting the case against him, claiming victimhood himself. He also criticized his seven-year pre-trial detention, which he said affected his health, labeling it as part of a history of colonialism and racism.

Campaign group TRIAL International, which filed the complaint against Sonko, found his closing speech “disturbing,” noting his disrespect towards Gambians and his attempt to position himself as a victim.

Sonko fell out with Jammeh in the final months of his repressive rule and was arrested in Switzerland in January 2017 while seeking asylum, shortly after Jammeh was forced to flee following an election defeat.

Switzerland’s public prosecutor is seeking the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for Sonko. The trial has been described as emotional, with witnesses giving testimony punctuated by heavy silences and occasional tears. One plaintiff, Binta Jamba, recounted being raped multiple times by Sonko after he murdered her husband.